Sun Microsystems unveiled its much-anticipated update to its low-cost IT strategy for branch banking at the Retail Delivery Systems (RDS) 2003 banking conference.
The strategy, once described by banks as "too good to be true", allows Sun's stateless client, the ultra-thin Sun Ray system, to reduce IT costs in bank branches by up to 70%. "The system reduces vendor dependency and delivers an architecture that allows complete remote installation and administration," says Sean O'Hare, Java systems engineer at Sun Microsystems SA.
Sun has also announced availability of the beta Java-powered Branch Controller for retail bank branches, another Sun innovation.
The Java Branch Controller boosts the compatibility of the stateless client with legacy applications, teller applications and networked devices such as cash drawers and printers.
According to industry analysts, Sun is responding to the banking industry's current operating priorities by providing technology such as Java which helps enable iForce banking partners to integrate multiple back-end systems. "This provides tellers with a single view of all of the customer's data, such as multiple account balances, including credit card, brokerage and mortgage statements. The ultimate goal is to help change the role of the bank teller from transaction-oriented to sales-oriented," says O'Hare.
Additionally, this single view helps provide better customer service.
Sun is working with a variety of banking technology vendors that are helping enable the solution. These include Sanchez, Kirchman, Polaris, Hartter, Dynasty, EPL and DeLaRue.
"Despite the advent of ATMs, call centres, and online banking, the branch remains at the heart of customer interaction," says Jerry Silva, senior analyst for TowerGroup, a research and advisory firm for the financial services industry. "As part of their customer retention strategy, banks are renewing the technology at this important interaction point. But with over half a million branches worldwide, banks also need to consider flexible technology that is easy to install and maintain. Sun Microsystems provides banks with a cost-saving branch technology that provides remote installation and administration, enabling banks to maintain revenue while increasing customer satisfaction."
O'Hare points out that at the line of business level, banks are anxious to reduce costs of operations and accelerate revenue opportunities inside their branches. "By applying the low-cost Sun Ray stateless client with the Java Branch Controller, banks can more efficiently bring legacy information to the fingertips of branch employees.
"From an IT perspective, the stateless client for tellers and platform officers, along with the Java Branch Controller, will provide seamless fat-client co-existence and remote administration features," he concludes.
Banks interested in learning more can e-mail: low-cost-branch-interest@sun.com.
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Simplifying the desktop and lowering the total cost of ownership, Sun Ray ultra-thin clients not only bring the power of the server to the desktop, but are also easy to set up and deploy. Sun Ray appliances are stateless devices that consolidate resources on the server and require virtually no client administration or upgrades. The Sun Ray systems enable users to gain instant access to existing applications and resources on the network, regardless of the underlying platform including Sun's Solaris operating environment, Java technology-based, multimedia or Windows NT applications.
Sun has installed Sun Ray ultra-thin clients company wide for its employees to share, and hundreds of companies in major industries rely on Sun Ray appliances for their desktops.
For more information about the Sun Ray appliances, please visit http://www.sun.com/sunray.
Sun Microsystems, Inc
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://www.sun.com.
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